The High Court has upheld a challenge to New South Wales’s election donation laws.

The challenge was brought by Unions NSW to the changes legislated by the O’Farrell government in 2012.

The effect of the challenge is to invalidate the changes and make it legal for unions and corporations to donate to political parties. Money spent on election advertising by unions affiliated to the ALP will now not be included in the ALP’s expenditure limits. [Read more…]

Senator MURRAY (Western Australia) (9.21 a.m.) – In making my remarks on the Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Electoral Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2006, I would like to be on the record as stating that this bill represents yet another appalling outcome of coalition control of the Senate. It is a bill that in many respects blatantly seeks to advantage the coalition. From the words electoral integrity in the title of this bill, one would assume its provisions are motivated by an intention to improve our representative democracy, to improve the democratic and electoral rights of Australians. [Read more…]